The field of use of the present disclosure extends to ship control technology. The control stand of ships is conventionally equipped with a command issuer for remote control of the ship propulsion system. Nowadays, the command issuer here generally acts as an actuating element directly controlling the speed and/or gear adjustment of the ship propulsion system via an electrical connection to an electrical motor control of the ship propulsion system. To protect against unwanted adjustment caused by vibration or slight contact, such manually mechanically adjustable command issuers have to be guided in a sufficiently stable manner in order to reliably remain in the respective selected position. At the same time, however, they should be sensitive and capable of adjustment between the shift positions without a marked breakaway moment. For precise control, it is furthermore necessary for the actuating element to latch in a clearly perceptible manner in the shift positions of the actuating path. Typical shift positions in propulsion systems having reversing gears are, for example, the neutral gear-forward gear-reverse gear positions and, in propulsion systems having adjusting propellers, the neutral propeller position.
In command issuers which are generally known in the prior art, the latching function is frequently realized via spring-loaded balls or rollers which releasably engage in a corresponding counter-bore or -groove. Band brakes, which act on a shaft, or axially acting braking elements which act in a spring-loaded manner on a disk, are used for example for the braking function. These solutions are disadvantageous in that a plurality of components is required, which have to be set precisely and have to move with respect to one another with as little backlash as possible. A latching ball, which does not engage precisely in the ball socket, or a brake with backlash on reversal cause a spongy actuation and give the impression of a lack of precision. Each of these components is moreover subject to wear, which is why it is desirable to implement the different functions with as few components as possible. Finally, the assembly of many small individual parts is uneconomical.
DD 244533 A1 discloses a command issuer for ship propulsion systems having a lever, a shift disk and a latching disk driven by a first hydraulic actuator, which are fastened to a rotatably mounted shaft. A latching pin, which is actuated via a further hydraulic actuator, engages in the latching disk. A brake which acts on the edge of the latching disk and is actuated by a third actuator is furthermore provided. Owing to the hydraulic actuators required, the latching and braking function proposed by DD 244533 A1 is complex, expensive to produce and has a high spatial requirement.
DE 19936946 C1 discloses a command issuer for ship propulsion systems having a hand lever which is guided in a shifting gate and may be pivoted in two functional planes. To latch the shift lever in its shift positions, DE 19935946 C1 discloses a disk which is connected to a pivot shaft and has circumferential latching recesses in which a spring mounted latching pin engages. To automatically restore the hand lever to its idle position, it is acted upon by a tension-spring. The restoring and latching functions realized in addition to the mounting of the hand lever and independently of this each require additional components and have an additional spatial requirement. As a result of the tension spring acting thereon, the pivotal movement of the hand lever is only braked in a movement direction against the spring force. Other means for the stabilizing braking of the pivotal movements of the hand lever are not disclosed in DE 19936946 C1.
DE 199 63 476 A1 discloses a command issuer of the above-mentioned type, which is additionally mounted to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis in both directions of rotation against a spring action and which has a sensor detecting the rotational movement for controlling a unit, for example a motor control. The spring damping of the rotational movement, which is realized in addition to the mounting of the hand lever and independently of this, requires additional components and has an additional spatial requirement.
DE 1 992 922 U discloses a latching device for an engine telegraph in which a command lever having a latching roller is displaceably guided on a latching path. Depending on the selected height of the latching projections in relation to the latching recesses, such a device has either a relatively high breakaway moment or a relatively unstable position in the respective shift position. It is furthermore advantageous to design the command issuer to be pivotable on a circular path instead of linearly displaceably since this is more space-saving and enables more ergonomic operation whilst providing an equally long shift travel.
DE 103 52 445 B4 discloses a braking element for the controlled opening and closing of hoods, compartments, drawers etc. The braking element comprises an outer rotor having an opening forming a bearing shell and an inner rotor arranged in the opening, which are arranged to be rotationally movable relative to one another, wherein the inner rotor has one or more braking members which may be set radially against a spring force, are connected at one end to said inner rotor, may each be pressed into a recess incorporated in the lateral surface of the inner rotor and abut against the inner surface of the bearing shell. Owing to its spatial dimensions, the braking element (so-called mini braking element) disclosed in DE 103 52 445 B4 is not suitable for use as a command issuer and nor does it provide a manually operable actuating element, for instance an actuating lever, or means for assembling such an actuating element. Moreover, as a result of the identical alignment of the braking member(s) within the rotational plane, the braking element only executes a braking function in one direction—against the setting moment of the braking members—or the braking function in the opposite direction is in any case considerably reduced. Finally, the braking element proposed by DE 103 52 445 B4 does not provide any means for latching the inner rotor against the outer rotor.